British Plastics Federation wants more support for energy from waste

The director general of the British Plastics Federation has called on the Government to give more backing to energy from waste.

In a letter to The Times newspaper criticising reports in the paper that there was a “revolt” against energy from waste, Peter Davis said that there was no such thing.

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He wrote: “There won’t be one [a revolt] if local councils consult in-depth on proposals so as to ensure the whole community understands the benefits rather than just engage with head-in-the-sand local groups.”

With landfill sites in England and Wales set to reach capacity limits within six years, he said energy from waste is a viable alternative.

He added: “The UK also has a growing energy crisis with supply not equalling demand from 2017. Energy from waste can provide 11 per cent of our energy needs from unrecyclable waste.

“[The Continental experience] shows that higher recycling rates are not negatively affected by increased energy from waste. The Government should get off the fence, and waste management companies should invest in good architecture for plants with visitor facilities.”

As well as being director general of the British Plastics Federation, Peter Davis is a partner in EFW UK.